186 research outputs found
Gas permeation through a polymer network
We study the diffusion of gas molecules through a two-dimensional network of
polymers with the help of Monte Carlo simulations. The polymers are modeled as
non-interacting random walks on the bonds of a two-dimensional square lattice,
while the gas particles occupy the lattice cells. When a particle attempts to
jump to a nearest-neighbor empty cell, it has to overcome an energy barrier
which is determined by the number of polymer segments on the bond separating
the two cells. We investigate the gas current as a function of the mean
segment density , the polymer length and the probability
for hopping across segments. Whereas decreases monotonically with
for fixed , its behavior for fixed and increasing
depends strongly on . For small, non-zero , appears to increase
slowly with . In contrast, for , it is dominated by the underlying
percolation problem and can be non-monotonic. We provide heuristic arguments to
put these interesting phenomena into context.Comment: Dedicated to Lothar Schaefer on the occasion of his 60th birthday. 11
pages, 3 figure
Simulation studies of permeation through two-dimensional ideal polymer networks
We study the diffusion process through an ideal polymer network, using
numerical methods. Polymers are modeled by random walks on the bonds of a
two-dimensional square lattice. Molecules occupy the lattice cells and may jump
to the nearest-neighbor cells, with probability determined by the occupation of
the bond separating the two cells. Subjected to a concentration gradient across
the system, a constant average current flows in the steady state. Its behavior
appears to be a non-trivial function of polymer length, mass density and
temperature, for which we offer qualitative explanations.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Calibrating Car-Following Models using Trajectory Data: Methodological Study
The car-following behavior of individual drivers in real city traffic is
studied on the basis of (publicly available) trajectory datasets recorded by a
vehicle equipped with an radar sensor. By means of a nonlinear optimization
procedure based on a genetic algorithm, we calibrate the Intelligent Driver
Model and the Velocity Difference Model by minimizing the deviations between
the observed driving dynamics and the simulated trajectory when following the
same leading vehicle. The reliability and robustness of the nonlinear fits are
assessed by applying different optimization criteria, i.e., different measures
for the deviations between two trajectories. The obtained errors are in the
range between~11% and~29% which is consistent with typical error ranges
obtained in previous studies. In addition, we found that the calibrated
parameter values of the Velocity Difference Model strongly depend on the
optimization criterion, while the Intelligent Driver Model is more robust in
this respect. By applying an explicit delay to the model input, we investigated
the influence of a reaction time. Remarkably, we found a negligible influence
of the reaction time indicating that drivers compensate for their reaction time
by anticipation. Furthermore, the parameter sets calibrated to a certain
trajectory are applied to the other trajectories allowing for model validation.
The results indicate that ``intra-driver variability'' rather than
``inter-driver variability'' accounts for a large part of the calibration
errors. The results are used to suggest some criteria towards a benchmarking of
car-following models
Sympathomimetic effects of chronic methamphetamine abuse on oral health: a cross-sectional study
Background: Methamphetamine, a highly addictive sympathomimetic stimulant, is currently widely abused worldwide and has been associated with devastating effects on oral health, resulting in the term "meth mouth". However, "meth mouth" pathology is primarily based on case reports with a lack of systematic clinical evaluation. Therefore, we have conducted a systematic study to investigate (1) the pharmacological impact of methamphetamine on oral health with regard to saliva function, including the parameters saliva flow rate and total saliva production (ml/5 min) and the buffering capacity of saliva;(2) the contribution of the symptoms of bruxism and muscle trismus to potential oral health damage. Methods: We assessed the data of 100 chronic methamphetamine abusers and 100 matched-pair comparison participants. Primarily, we conducted an anamnesis with all methamphetamine abusers with regard to saliva dysfunctions, jaw clenching and pain in the temporomandibular joint. Subsequently, in the first part of the clinical enquiry, we tested the saliva flow rate and the total saliva production (ml/5 min) by using the sialometry method and the buffer capacity of saliva by determining the pH-value. In the second part of the clinical enquiry, we evaluated bruxism symptoms with respect to generalized tooth attrition, dentine exposure and visible enamel cracks and examined a potential muscle trismus by measuring the maximal opening of the mouth. Results: The majority of methamphetamine abusers reported a dry mouth (72 %) and jaw clenching (68 %). Almost half of all methamphetamine abusers experienced pain in the temporomandibular joint (47 %). With regard to the clinical findings, methamphetamine abusers showed significantly lower total saliva production (ml/5 min) (p 0.05). Conclusions: The sympathomimetic effects of chronic methamphetamine abuse may lead to dry mouth and extensive bruxism and therefore can increase the risk for caries decay, periodontal lesions and tooth wear. Furthermore, a significant decline of saliva buffer capacity in methamphetamine abusers may trigger the risk for dental erosions. Methamphetamine abusers and practitioners should be aware of these symptoms
Nuclear S100A7 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Head and Neck Cancer
Tissue proteomic analysis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and normal oral mucosa using iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation) labeling and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, led to the identification of a panel of biomarkers including S100A7. In the multi-step process of head and neck tumorigenesis, the presence of dysplastic areas in the epithelium is proposed to be associated with a likely progression to cancer; however there are no established biomarkers to predict their potential of malignant transformation. This study aimed to determine the clinical significance of S100A7 overexpression in HNSCC.Immunohistochemical analysis of S100A7 expression in HNSCC (100 cases), oral lesions (166 cases) and 100 histologically normal tissues was carried out and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and disease prognosis over 7 years for HNSCC patients. Overexpression of S100A7 protein was significant in oral lesions (squamous cell hyperplasia/dysplasia) and sustained in HNSCC in comparison with oral normal mucosa (p(trend)<0.001). Significant increase in nuclear S100A7 was observed in HNSCC as compared to dysplastic lesions (p = 0.005) and associated with well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.031). Notably, nuclear accumulation of S100A7 also emerged as an independent predictor of reduced disease free survival (p = 0.006, Hazard ratio (HR = 7.6), 95% CI = 1.3-5.1) in multivariate analysis underscoring its relevance as a poor prognosticator of HNSCC patients.Our study demonstrated nuclear accumulation of S100A7 may serve as predictor of poor prognosis in HNSCC patients. Further, increased nuclear accumulation of S100A7 in HNSCC as compared to dysplastic lesions warrants a large-scale longitudinal study of patients with dysplasia to evaluate its potential as a determinant of increased risk of transformation of oral premalignant lesions
Scenario-Based Design Theorizing:The Case of a Digital Idea Screening Cockpit
As ever more companies encourage employees to innovate, a surplus of ideas has become reality in many organizations – often exceeding the available resources to execute them. Building on insights from a literature review and a 3-year collaboration with a banking software provider, the paper suggests a Digital Idea Screening Cockpit (DISC) to address this challenge. Following a design science research approach, it suggests a prescriptive design theory that provides practitioner-oriented guidance for implementing a DISC. The study shows that, in order to facilitate the assessment, selection, and tracking of ideas for different stakeholders, such a system needs to play a dual role: It needs to structure decision criteria and at the same be flexible to allow for creative expression. Moreover, the paper makes a case for scenario-based design theorizing by developing design knowledge via scenarios
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